Bags



A. F. BECKER Apr-i121, 1964 BAGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1961April 21, 1964 A. F. BECKER BAGS Filed Sept. 26, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2April 21, 1964 A. F. BECKER BAGS Filed Sept. 26, 1961 i 5 Sheets-Sheet 3United States Patent fice 3,129,871 BAGS Arnold F. Becker, San Pedro,Calif., assignor to Bemis Bro. Bag Company, St. Louis, Mo., acorporation of Missouri Filed Sept. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 140,810 2 Claims.(Ci. 22962.5)

This invention relates to valve bags, and more particularly to pastedvalve bags and the manufacture thereof.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision ofa pasted valve bag with an improved tuck-in valve sleeve having a cuffwhich provides ample space for tuck-in of the sleeve after the bag hasbeen filled; and the provision of a method of manufacturing such bags inwhich the sleeves are formed from a continuous web of sleeve materialand combined with the bags in a continuous operation. Other objects andfeatures will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions and methodshereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in thefollowing claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possibleembodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation showing the manufacture of bags inaccordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective illustrating certain steps performed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a string of sleeves made according to FIGS.1 and 2 and showing a sleeve segmented from the string;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged detail views;

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing bag tubes being fed through asidewise bottomer and having sleeves applied thereto; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged section through a completed bag taken in effect online 88 of FIG. 7.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several view of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, there is generally indicated at 1 in FIGS. 1and 7 a bag bottomer of a type such as is referred to in the art as asidewise bottomer. It will be understood that in this type of bottomer,flat bag tubes B are fed forward sidewise (as distinguished fromlengthwise) one after another, and the ends of each tube are formed withpasted closures. Such a bottomer is shown, for example, in Rawe U.S.Patent 2,707,421. FIG.7 shows one end of each tube of such a series oftubes being fed forward one after another through the sidewise bottomer, this end being the end including the corner of the tube where avalve is to be formed and a valve sleeve S applied. As shown for thetube at the left of FIG. 7, the end of the tube is opened up to form endflaps 3 and 5 and first and second side flaps 7 and 9, and a pattern ofpaste P is applied. End flap 3 may be referred to as the valve flap,being located at the valve corner of the bag tube. The paste patternincludes stripes extending across flaps 3 and 5 lengthwise of the bagand a stripe extending across side flap 9 transversely of the bag. Thestripe extending across valve flap 3 has a relatively narrow portion P1extending closely adjacent the inner end edge of flap 3 between lines L1and L2 on which flaps 7 and 9 are subsequently folded to complete theclosure. The flaps 3 and 5 are oriented lengthwise as regards thedirection of 3,129,871 Patented Apr. 21, 1964 plied to valve flap 3. InFIG. 7, a sleeve S has been applied to the bag tube at the center. Then,as shown for the tube at the right of FIG. 7, side flap 7 is folded overon line L1 on the sleeve S and end flap 5, and side flap 9 is foldedover on line L2 on side flap 7 to complete vthe formation of theclosure.

Sleeve S is a tuck-in sleeve, i.e., a sleeve which extends out of thebag at the valve corner of the bag, an outer part of the sleeve beingfolded under and tucked in between the rernainder of the sleeve andvalve flap 3 after the bag has been filled. In accordance with thisinvention, sleeve S is also a so-called cuffed sleeve, having a cuff Cby means of which it is secured by pasting to the inner end of the valveflap 3 in such manner as to provide ample space underneath the sleevefor tucking in the folded outer portion of the sleeve.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, sleeves S are formed from a continuous web Wof suitable valve sleeve material, which, for example, may be crepedkraft paper. At 11 in FIG. 1 is indicated a draw roll for drawing theweb from a supply roll R. Idler rolls such as indicated at 13 areprovided for guiding the web around the draw roll. The web has a widthsomewhat greater than twice the Width of the sleeves to be formedtherefrom. From the second idler roll 13, the web passes through a cuffcutter generally indicated at 15 which functions to make cuff cuts suchas generally indicated at 17 in the web recurring at valve sleeve lengthintervals longitudinally of the web. Each cuff cut defines a cuff C. Thecuff cutter essentially comprises a rotary knife 19 and a fixed knife 21formed to make cuff cuts of the desired shape, as next described.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 each cuff cut 17 is generally of broadU-shape, including a curved base cut 23 extending transversely of theweb, relatively short side cuts each designated 25 extending generallylongitudinally of the Web, and outwardly curved wing cuts 27 at the endsof side cuts 25. The latter trail the base portion 23 as regards thedirection of travel of the web, which is indicated by an arrow in FIGS.1 and 2, and wing cuts 27 are at the trailing ends of the side cuts. Theside cuts :25 are spaced transversely of the web a distance somewhatgreater than the width of the sleeves S to be formed from the web, andare equally spaced on opposite sides of a line corresponding to thelongitudinal center line of the sleeves.

From the cuff cutter 15 the Web W (now having cuff cuts 17 therein)passes through a creaser comprising upper and lower rotary creasingmembers 29 and 31 (see FIG. 1) which function to form a crease 33 (seeFIG. 2) extending transversely across the web between the ends of thewing cuts 27 of each cuff out. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, web W travelshorizontally through the creasing members, and thence passes around ahorizontal idler roll 35 and vertically downward. In passing downwardaround idler roll 35, it passes between idler roll 35 and a cuff-foldingroll 37. As appears from FIG. 2, when the web W changes direction fromhorizontal to vertical in passing around idler roll 35, each cuff Ctends to continue on in horizontal direction and, for a brief instant,projects out over the cuff-folding roll 37. Then, as the cuff travelsdown with the web, it is folded upward on the respective crease 33 andflattened back against the web. As a result of folding back the cuffs,openings 0 are left in the web.

The web W, with the folded-back cuffs C, then travels .around an idlerroll 39 from which it passes to an adjustable cuff register roll 41 andthence to a pastor generally indicated at 43. This paster comprises apaste wheel 45 rotating in a paste reservoir 47 and adapted to apply astripe of paste 49 (see FIG. 2) to one margin of web W. At.51 in FIG. 1is generally indicated an endless belt conveyor trained around pulleys53 and 55 to have an upper reach inclined downward in forward direction.

Pulley 53 is located adjacent the paste wheel 45. The web travels upwardbetween the paste Wheel and pulley 53. The latter is positively drivento drive the belt con veyor in the direction indicated by the arrow onthe conveyor in FIG. 1. The web passes around the portion of theconveyor trained around pulley 53 and under a rotary creaser 57. Pulley53 is formed as a female creaser and rotary creaser 57 acts inconjunction therewith to form two longitudinally extending creases 59(see FIGS. 2 and 6) in the web and in each cuff C located slightlyinward from side cuts 25 of the cuff cuts 17. These creases 59 definethe width of sleeves S. The upper reach of the conveyor passes over atable 61. As the web travels along with the upper reach of the conveyorover the table, the side portions 63 and 65 of the web lying outward ofcreases 59 are folded over at these creases by folding means such asindicated at 67 in FIG. 1 to bring the margins of the web intooverlapping relation and to cause them to become pasted together by thestripe of paste 49. The web is thereby converted into a series or stringof integrally connected valve sleeves S. In the string, each sleeve Scomprises a flat tube, one wall of which is constituted by side portions63 and 65 and the other wall of which is designated 69. Creases 59, onwhich portions 63 and 65 are folded over, define the side edges of thesleeve or tube S. The sleeve or tube S has a longitudinal tube seam '71where the margins of the web are overlapped and adhered together bypaste 49. At one end (the leading end) of each sleeve or tube S is thecuff C, which is folded back upon the sleeve or tube S. Cuts 25 arelocated in wall 63, 65 of the sleeve or tube S, on opposite sides of thelongitudinal seam 71, and the cuff C extends from one cut 25 around oneside edge 59 of the sleeve or tube S, across wall 69 of the tube, andaround the other side edge 59 of the sleeve or tube S to the other out25. The narrow end portions of the cuff which lie on the outside of wall63, 65 are designated C1. Wall 63, 65 of each sleeve or tube S has anextension 73 projecting beyond the cuifed end of the sleeve or tube S,each extension 73 being integrally connected along a line such asindicated in phantom at 75 in FIGS. 24 to the next sleeve or tube S inthe string.

The string of valve sleeves S travels off the leading end of the upperreach of conveyor 51, passes under an idler roll 77 and between a pairof draw rolls 79. Thence it passes through a cutter generally indicatedat 81 which functions almost completely but not fully to sever thestring on lines 75. For example, cutter 81 functions to cut the stringat 75a, "75b and 756 as indicated in FIGS.

3 and 4, leaving narrow tongues of the web material such as indicated at75d interconnecting the individual sleeves S in the string. Cutter 81essentially comprises a rotary knife 83 and a fixed knife 85 formed tomake incomplete cuts as described.

The string passes from the cutter 81 between so-called forwarding rolls87 and thence between so-called snap-off rolls 8). Both the forwardingrolls and the snap-01f rolls are positively driven, but the snap-offrolls 89 are driven at a faster speed than the forwarding rolls 87 so asto cause each successive sleeve S exiting from the nip of the forwardingrolls to be snapped off at the line 75, the narrow tongues 75d tearingapart as appears in FIGS. 2-4. Thus, the sleeves S are segmented fromthe string.

At 91 is indicated an endless chain trained around sprockets 93, 95, 97and 99. This chain is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow inFIG. 1. It carries a series of sleeve gripper units each generallyindicated at 181. Three such gripper units are shown in FIG. 1. Theseare spaced at equal intervals along the length of the chain. Eachgripper unit comprises a jaw 103 carried by the chain and fixed againstmovement relative to the chain, and a jaw 105 pivoted at 1497 on thechain for pivotal movement relative to the chain between open and closedposition relative to the jaw 103. The sprockets are so located that thechain has a lower forwardly travelling reach generally aligned with thepath of the string of sleeves S. As each gripper unit 101 comes aroundwith the chain around the sprocket 93 at the trailing end of the lowerreach of the chain, the pivoted jaw of the unit is open as appears inFIG. 1 and the leading end of a sleeve S segmented from the string aspreviously described enters the gripper unit, the sleeve being forwardedfor entry of its leading end into the gripper unit by a lower forwardingsector 109 and an upper forwarding roll 111. The latter is coaxial withsprocket 93. The leading end of the sleeve comes under the fixed jaw103. Then the pivoted jaw 105 swings closed to grip the sleeve. Theaction of the pivoted jaw may be under control of any suitable means,such as a fixed cam track cooperating with a cam follower on the pivotedjaw.

A sleeve S gripped .by a gripper unit 16d on chain 91 is carried alongwith the lower reach of the chain and delivered into position on endflap 3 of the partially formed closure on one of the series of bags Bbeing fed forward through the bottomer 1. When the sleeve has beencarried into proper position on the end flap 3, the pivoted jaw 195 ofthe gripper unit opens to release the sleeve, and the gripper unittravels up and away with the chain around sprocket 95. An endless belt113 trained around pulleys 115 and 117 (the former being coaxial withsprocket 99) holds the sleeve in position on the end flap 3 after thepivoted jaw 105 has opened.

The sleeve forming and delivering means above described is driven insynchronism with the bottomer 1 for delivering a sleeve S for each bagtube B fed through the bottomer, with the delivery of the sleeves phasedwith the feed of bag tubes so that each sleeve is delivered onto valveflap 3 of a bag tube with the cuff C of the sleeve overlying the innerend margin of the valve flap 3, i.e., with the crease 33 substantiallyin register with the inner end edge 119 of the valve flap 3. It will beobserved that each sleeve is delivered with its wall 69 and culf C onthe bottom for this purpose. Also, the path of the web W and the stringof sleeves S into which the web is formed, and of the individual sleevessegmented from the string, is registered with the path of the bag tubesbeing fed through the bottomer so that the longitudinal center line ofeach sleeve delivered to a bag tube is substantially in register withthe center line of the valve flap 3.

Draw roll 11, rotary knife 19, rotary creaser members 29 and 31,culf-folding roll 37, rotary knife 83 and forwarding rolls 87 are alldriven, in synchronism with bottomer 1, at such speed as to produce onesleeve for each bag tube fed through the bottomer. The drive for theseelements may be via a change gear from the bottomer, permitting changeof speeds by changing gears for producing sleeves of different length.Paste wheel 45, pulley and female creaser 53, draw rolls 79 and drawroll 11 are driven off the output of the change gear via a variablespeed drive which enables adjustment of tension on the sleeve material.Snap-Off rolls 89, forwarding sector 109 and forwarding roll 111, chain91 and belt 113 are driven at a speed such as to deliver the sleeves atthe same speed as the speed of bag tube feed through bottomer 1. Cuffregister roll 4 1 is adjustable for varying the length of sleevematerial between cuff cutter l5 and sleeve cutter 81 to provide forproper registration of cuff cut and sleeve cut. Draw rolls 79, cutter 81and forwarding rolls 87 are part of a unit 121 which may be adjusted inposition so that the distance between forwarding rolls 87 and snapoifrolls 89 may be varied for various sleeve lengths.

From the above, it will be apparent that each completed bag has aclosure at one end comprising the inwardly directed end flaps 3 and 5and the first and second side flaps 7 and 9, with end flap 3constituting a valve flap. Sleeve S, which is a tuck-in sleeve, andwhich comprises a flat tube, overlies the valve flap 3. The first sideflap 7 is folded over on the outer wall 63, 65 of the sleeve on tube Sand the end flap 5, and the second side flap 9 is J folded over on thefirst side flap 7 and adhered thereto by paste P. The sleeve or tube Shas the pair of cuts 25 extending inward from one end thereof definingthe cufi C, this cufi being folded back on the outside of the sleeve ortube S. The sleeve or tube S is positioned on valve flap 3 With cuff Coverlying the margin of flap 3 at the inner end of flap 3 (see FIG. 8)with the sleeve or tube S extending outward over the flap 3. Cufi C isadhered to the flap 3 by the paste at P1.

More particularly, the cuts 25 are located in the outer Wall 63, 65 ofthe sleeve or tube S, and the cuff C extends from one cut 25 around oneside edge 59 of the sleeve or tube S, across the inner Wall 69 of thesleeve or tube S, and around the other side edge 59 to the other out 25.The sleeve or tube S actually consists of a rectangular section of thevalve sleeve material W folded to form the sleeve or tube S withoverlapping adhered-together margins in the outer Wall 63, 65 formingthe longitudinal seam 71, cuts 2 being located on opposite sides of thisseam (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The folding back of the cuff leaves extension73 of wall 63, 65 projecting inward beyond crease 33 which is located atthe inner edge of flap 3.

The bag is adapted to be filled by entering a filling spout in thesleeve S and blowing the material with which the bag is to be filled(such as a pulverized or granulated material) into the bag through thespout. After the bag has been filled, it is taken off the spout, and theouter half of the sleeve S is folded under and tucked in underneath theinner half of the sleeve. With the cult C, full tuck-in to the pointwhere the original outer end of the sleeve is entered between the cuff Cand the overlying portion of the inner Wall (the wall 69) of the sleeveis readily accomplished. That is, the cufi C provides space for tuckingthe sleeve in as far as the inner end edge of flap 3 conceivably to thepoint where the end of the sleeve would engage crease 33. In thisrespect, it will be observed that the paste P1 is applied in arelatively narrow band (see FIG. 7) no Wider than cufi C, and does notextend outward beyond the edge of the cuif so as to avoid having thebottom wall of the sleeve as viewed in FIG. 8 stuck to flap 3. If itwere stuck to flap 3, full tuck-in of the sleeve would be blocked.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

AS various changes could be made in the above con structions and methodswithout departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A valve bag having a closure at one end comprising inwardly directedend flaps and first and second side flaps, one of said end flapsconstituting a valve flap, a tuck-in valve sleeve comprising a fiat tubeoverlying said valve flap, said first side flap being folded over uponthe outer Wall of said tube and the other end flap and being adheredthereto, said second side flap being folded over upon said first sideflap and adhered thereto, said tube having a pair of cuts located in itsouter wall extending inward from one end thereof defining a cutf, saidcuif being folded back on the outside of the tube and extending from onecut around one side edge of the tube, across the inner wall of the tube,and around the other side edge of the tube to the other cut, said tubebeing positioned on said valve flap with said cuff overlying the marginof the valve flap at the inner end of the valve flap with the tubeextending outward over the valve flap, and said cuff being adhered tothe valve flap.

2. A valve bag as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tube consists of arectangular section of valve sleeve material folded to form the tubewith overlapping adhered-together margins in the outer Wall of the tubeforming a longitudinal tube seam, said cuts being located on oppositesides of said seam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,660,100 Doyle Nov. 24, 1953 2,695,746 Woodward Nov. 30, 1954 2,955,517Honsel Oct. 11, 1960 2,968,432 Craighead Ian. 17, 1961 2,977,038 La FaveMar. 28, 1961 3,022,932 Vines Feb. 27, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 806,623Germany June 14,

1. A VALVE BAG HAVING A CLOSURE AT ONE END COMPRISING INWARDLY DIRECTED END FLAPS AND FIRST AND SECOND SIDE FLAPS, ONE OF SAID END FLAPS CONSTITUTING A VALVE FLAP, A TUCK-IN VALVE SLEEVE COMPRISING A FLAT TUBE OVERLYING SAID VALVE FLAP, SAID FIRST SIDE FLAP BEING FOLDED OVER UPON THE OUTER WALL OF SAID TUBE AND THE OTHER END FLAP AND BEING ADHERED THERETO, SAID SECOND SIDE FLAP BEING FOLDED OVER UPON SAID FIRST SIDE FLAP AND ADHERED THERETO, SAID TUBE HAVING A PAIR OF CUTS LOCATED IN ITS OUTER WALL EXTENDING INWARD FROM ONE END THEREOF DEFINING A CUFF, SAID CUFF BEING FOLDED BACK ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TUBE AND EXTENDING FROM ONE CUT AROUND ONE SIDE EDGE OF THE TUBE, ACROSS THE INNER WALL OF THE TUBE, AND AROUND THE OTHER SIDE EDGE OF THE TUBE TO THE OTHER CUT, SAID TUBE BEING POSITIONED ON SAID VALVE FLAP WITH SAID CUFF OVERLYING THE MARGIN FO THE VALVE FLAP AT THE INNER END OF THE VALVE FLAP WITH THE TUBE EXTENDING OUTWARD OVER THE VALVE FLAP, AND SAID CUFF BEING ADHERED TO THE VALVE FLAP. 